Destiny’s Child’s first U.S. release of the social media age available everywhere October 9, 2012, through Music World/Columbia/Legacy

The meteoric recording career of one of the Top 3 biggest-selling girl groups in pop history is compiled for the first time in the social media era on DESTINY’S CHILD – PLAYLIST , their first official U.S. release in seven years. Celebrating the 15th anniversary of their #1 debut single of 1997, “No, No, No Part 2” featuring Wyclef Jean, this 14-track ‘playlist,’ including all five of their Billboard #1 pop and #1 R&B hits, will be available everywhere October 9th through Music World/Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

With worldwide sales in excess of 60 million albums and singles, and with their two Grammys® topping a list of dozens of music industry awards, Destiny’s Child ranks with Spice Girls and TLC in the Top 3 tier of pop’s most successful girl groups of all time.

Deep album tracks on DESTINY’S CHILD – PLAYLIST include “Illusion” featuring Wyclef Jean & Pras of Refugee Camp (1998, from their self-titled debut album); “Bug A Boo” and “So Good” (1999, from their second album, The Writing’s On The Wall), “Emotion” (The Neptunes Remix, 2001, from This Is The Remix), and “Girl” (2004, from their final album, Destiny Fulfilled).

The four original studio albums by Destiny’s Child summarize their recording career on the Music World Entertainment label, based in Houston, Texas, and distributed by Columbia Records. In late 1997, the original four-girl lineup of Houston singers and songwriters Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett released their debut single, “No, No, No Part 2,” featuring its co-producer Wyclef Jean. The million-selling single hit #1 R&B and heralded their self-titled debut album, Destiny’s Child, released February 1998.

Building on the momentum of the first album, work commenced on the followup and a new single became the theme of the summer of 1999, “Bills, Bills, Bills.” The female empowerment anthem’s massive worldwide success paved the way for the July release of their second album, The Writing’s On The Wall. Three more single releases from the album (“Bug A Boo,” “Say My Name,” “Jumpin’, Jumpin’”) extended well into the spring and summer of 2000, keeping the album selling steadily into 2001, as gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications poured in from across the globe. At the Grammy Awards® ceremonies in February 2001, “Say My Name” won for Best R&B Performance By a Duo/Group, the first of Destiny Child’s two Grammys®.

Meanwhile, 1999 brought the departure of Roberson and Luckett, who were replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. The new foursome recorded a one-off single in 2000, “Independent Women,” but by the time of its late-summer release, Franklin had departed. The song subsequently showed up on the October release of the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack album (on Columbia).

It was the new trio of Destiny’s Child – Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle – who set to work in late 2000 on the recording of their fourth album, Survivor. The title song was released in February 2001 and became another worldwide smash, and the perfect prelude to the album release in May. “Bootylicious” and “Emotion” were among the singles that kept the album selling well into the next year. At the Grammy Awards® ceremonies in February 2002, Destiny’s Child won their second consecutive Best R&B Duo/Group award, this time for “Survivor.”

Meanwhile, a hiatus occurred, with the three members turning to solo album projects: Michelle Williams with Heart To Yours (early 2002), Kelly Rowland with Simply Deep (late 2002), and Beyoncé with Dangerously In Love (2003). In November 2004, three and a half years since the previous Destiny’s Child album, the group returned triumphantly with the portentously titled Destiny Fulfilled. As before, a new single (“Lose My Breath”) had preceded the album release. A slew of followup singles, starting with “Soldier” featuring T.I. & Lil’ Wayne and “Girl,” kept the album on the bestseller lists for nearly one full year.

In the annals of American girl groups, the seven-year run of Destiny’s Child established a chart record and awards record that will likely never be matched in the modern era. DESTINY’S CHILD – PLAYLIST encapsulates those seven years as a fitting tribute to the hard-working women who saw their pop dreams come true.